Door types and construction
What are garage doors made of?
UK garage doors are most commonly made from galvanised steel, often powder-coated and available as a single skin or as an insulated double-skin sandwich panel with a foam core. Aluminium is standard for roller doors, and timber or GRP composite are used for side-hinged and bespoke designs from around £1,795.
Steel
Galvanised steel is the most widely used material for up-and-over and sectional doors, valued for its strength and low maintenance. It is finished with a powder-coated or foiled surface and can be single-skin or insulated double-skin construction, the latter adding a foam core between two steel faces.
Aluminium, timber and composite
Aluminium is the standard material for roller door slats because it is light enough to coil into a compact barrel while remaining strong and corrosion-resistant. Timber gives a traditional look on side-hinged and bespoke doors but needs periodic repainting or re-staining, while GRP composite mimics timber's appearance with lower long-term maintenance.
Questions people ask
- Do steel garage doors rust?
- Galvanised steel garage doors are treated specifically to resist corrosion and should not rust under normal conditions, though damage to the coating, coastal salt exposure or standing water at the base can eventually cause rust to take hold.
- Is timber a good choice for a UK garage door?
- Timber suits period or characterful properties and can be finished to match existing joinery, but it requires more regular maintenance than steel, aluminium or composite, and bespoke hardwood doors typically start around £4,800 installed.
- What is a GRP composite garage door?
- GRP (glass-reinforced plastic) composite is a moulded material used mainly on side-hinged and carriage-style doors to replicate the look of painted timber without the same repainting maintenance, usually priced alongside premium steel and timber options.
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